Well forever the optimist iv'e replanted the leeks going to risk the greenhouse this time, nothing ventured and all that Despite saying delivery end of Feb the seed potatoes arrived this morning so let the chitting begin.Greenhouse is a little untidy to say the least so that's today's job,at least i will stay dry.

Had a lovely afternoon on the plot yesterday quite windy but the sun shining, one or two jobs done in between chatting and tea drinking. Put the onions in and covered with fleece hopefully they'll go ok.Got a very healthy red gooseberry from wilko so that went in also the fruit end of the plot almost complete now have Apple,Cherry,Blackberry,Strawberry,Gooseberry,Blueberry,and Rhubarb.The polly tunnel looks like a sieve not helped by the dear vandals who slit both ends with a blade why you would want to cut a window in a door escapes me.Got 5 rolls of the hot spot tape recommended on here just waiting for new cover now.Have been looking for that blue plastic piping to make cloches but it's expensive , lass next to me suggested we get the large hoola hoops from pound shop and just cut to size and then staple netting on so another problem solved.

Plot looked good yesterday had a nice afternoon hoeing the beds the soil is lovely, dark and rich looking.Cabbages look grand and all else doing well.New cover for pollytunnel has arrived today so it will go on at Easter,the pathways have been replenished with bark and i'm very pleased with the way it all looks considering it was a mess last year.The leeks,peppers,broc ect are up in the greenhouse no sign of the sweetcorn yet but i was amazed how quickly it chitted in damp kitchen roll and at last the spuds have started to chit.On the flower front bedding plants are coming on well,went to garden center last week and bought some lovely fuchsia i do love my hanging baskets.I would like to grow some lupins but every year is a fail,owing to the snails and slugs, i think iv'e tried most things to protect the plants down to spraying round the containers with wd40 but to no avail,anyone have a good solution?

what is the temperature in the greenhouse? We've had several days of dull and cold weather which is becoming problematic for my chilli project - you really need a constant temperature of around 18-21oC (day and night) I don't think I mentioned it before, but ideally it might have been better to wait until about early-mid April before sowing as they don't tolerate the cold.

Carole wrote:I would like to grow some lupins but every year is a fail,owing to the snails and slugs, i think iv'e tried most things to protect the plants down to spraying round the containers with wd40 but to no avail,anyone have a good solution?

Lupins are a legume (pea & bean family) - I use the standard slug pellets, but what about setting up some beer traps which can be bowls or plastic bottle cut to size and buried so that the top is at soil surface level (they are attracted to the smell, climb down and drown in the beer - you will need to empty the dish of contents and put fresh down regularly) You could try using something like a super dry stuff such as sawdust round the plants (it has to be very absorbent which deters the slugs and snails) but you will need to replenish it if it rains. Some people seem happy using crushed egg shells because the edges are sharp and will stop the slugs from crossing over but I'm afraid I'm not that convinced (I've seen a snail "walk" over an upended razor blade in an experiment to show how muscles in the "foot" ripple over so it doesn't cut itself)

Could be why the sweetcorn havn't come up as temp not constant iv'e brought them indoors so hopefully they will show themselves.With the lupins your right that eggshell doesn't work iv'e tried it had no effect at all, iv'e also tried the beer and grit,god they're tenacious little creatures, i'm determined to grow some even if i have to plant them in slug pellets lol

Hi Carol i usually chit my sweetcorn in last week of April or first week of May dependent of howe long range weather is looking ,once chitted keep warm and usually poking through compost in less than a week .If your nights are still cold as they are hear you may find they rot in the pot if not kept warm.Taking them in might help but don't be in a hurry to put them outside.

Hi Bill, well overnight the sweetcorn have emerged, about half inch.I gather i keep them indoors but will they get too leggy? didn't know i should have sown later, but don't want to loose them now,advice please.

Carole wrote:Hi Bill, well overnight the sweetcorn have emerged, about half inch.I gather i keep them indoors but will they get too leggy? didn't know i should have sown later, but don't want to loose them now,advice please.

It is trying to stop them growing that is the problem ,really don't want to be in garden until end May at earliest ,how many have you grown ?

Carole wrote:Iv'e sown 30 was going to half them with friend and grow block 5x3 they in un heated room.

If they were mine i would abandon them and start again at end of April ,but they are not mine ,but if you keep them be prepared to chit some more if they do fail ,if it turns warm you may be tempted to put them out ,but one frost will probably kill them ,its a long time to keep potted but who knows (nothing ventured as they say)